Rainy days aren't always boring
by Lil-Samuu
Summary: Lloyd remembers a rainy day he spent with Colette when they were younger.


Got a couple of cute pictures in my head and decided they were cute enough to write about. I was hoping it would be cute, it's a little bit on the soppy side, but not too badly I hope.

SPOILER WARNING!

If you do not know what happens to Colette as she undergoes the angel transformation process and don't want to read spoilers DO NOT read this, one of the side effects is mentioned.

Set during the time when Colette is undergoing the angel transformation process. Lloyd and Colette pairing, because they're so cute together :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia. I think it's a wonderful game, but I don't own it. Namco do I believe.

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Lloyd looked over to the small blonde lump curled up in the sleeping bag just along from his and felt as though his heart had been ripped out and replaced with a lump of cold, harsh pain. 

He knew Colette was awake, she'd told him she couldn't sleep any more. Part of him wanted to go and talk to her about it, but his sensible side told him there'd be no use in it. He'd already imagined the conversation in his head, and knew Colette well enough to know what her responses would be.

He really really didn't want to lose her, but she would insist on playing her part as Chosen, insisting that her sacrificing herself and potential happiness would allow many others to be happy and she loved everyone to be happy.

But it wouldn't be just her happiness she would be giving up though. Her friends would miss her so much.

Especially Lloyd. He blushed. He liked Colette, a lot. He felt, he was certain, that he didn't just like her, but that he loved her.

He knew that kissing girls was supposed to be yucky. He was sure that Genis would pull a face and wonder what was wrong if Lloyd talked to him about it but he didn't care, the thought of cuddling up to Colette made him feel all warm and happy inside.

And it wasn't as though he was going to talk to the half-elf about it anyways. It was private between himself and Colette until they decided otherwise.

If they got the chance to decide otherwise he sighed.

He thought about why he loved Colette. He was sure it was because of her personality and soul, although if pushed he would admit that she was pretty in an unassuming way as well. She was such a wonderful, warm person, and they got on so well. She could, thought Lloyd, make even the dullest, most ordinary day a great one to remember.

He remembered one time when she'd done just that when he was eleven.

It was a rainy Saturday, no school. He'd wanted to go out and play in the fields with Noishe and, hopefully, Colette but the rain seemed like it was determined to pelt down all day. Noishe, curled up in his dog pen, seemed to feel the way he did, completely unwilling to go and get soaked to the skin within five minutes flat, which was sure to happen if he stepped outside the door.

He assumed Colette felt the same. He didn't blame her, but he'd been watching out for her, sitting by the window and peering out through the rain hoping and hoping that she might brave the weather. He'd been so looking forward to spending the day with her.

He was just about to give up and go sit by the warm fire Dirk had gotten blazing when he saw a distant whiteish shape moving up the path.

He leapt up and flung the door open just in time to see, to his horror, Colette trip into a puddle.

He rushed out of the house, helped her out of the mud and pulled her indoors as fast as he could.

"Hi Lloyd," she smiled happily.

"Ahh, Colette, you're all soaking wet and muddy," he said. "Lets get you a warm bath and a change of clothes."

Soon he was sitting outside the closed bathroom door talking to Colette as she soaked, letting the warmth of the water seep into her.

He looked up as he heard the door open and giggled as he saw her wearing some of his old clothes that he'd lent her while hers were soaking, like she had, in warm water to get the mud out.

He blushed a little when he realised how cute she looked. She was so tiny that even the smallest of his old clothes he could find were too big for her. Her hands were hidden somewhere in the overly long sleeves. As she clasped them together in front of her, smiled and, blushingly, thanked Lloyd for his help and for being so kind for lending her some clothes she looked adorable.

"I have some stuff for you in my backpack, shall we see if any of it survived?" she asked as she led the way to the fireplace where her backpack was drying out.

Fortunately it had avoided most of the mud and the contents was unharmed.

Colette emptied it all out while she explained that even though they couldn't have it outside she wanted a picnic, so she'd packed food for them to share.

Lloyd grinned when he saw marshmallows and promptly started toasting them over the fire. He and Colette had long ago come to the conclusion that marshmallows weren't marshmallows if they hadn't been toasted into goo form.

Colette let Noishe into the house and he curled up with them beside the fire, happily accepting any food treats he was offered.

The food and warmth from the fire along with the gentle patter of the rain on the windows made them sleepy, and when they'd finished all the food the two children curled up together with Noishe behind them as a pillow and had chatted about nothing in particular until they dozed off.

When Dirk had woken them up and told them that the rain had stopped and it was about time Colette was heading home before her parents worried Lloyd had sighed a sad sigh. Colette smiled and said he was welcome to come and visit her tomorrow if he wanted. Lloyd had nodded, knowing that not even a blizzard would keep him from visiting her.

When she got to the door Colette had pulled a small, squishy package wrapped in beautiful paper out of her backpack. She handed it to Lloyd, grinned and said "just because". Then she left the house, turning and waving as she walked down the path back home. The gift inside the wrapping had become one of Lloyd's most treasured possessions.

He had waved and stood in the doorway until a long time after she'd disappeared out of his sight, giving a tiny whimper when the little red blob she'd become went over the horizon. He'd let her keep the clothes to go home in as hers weren't quite dry yet. She hadn't told him but she was secretly pleased that he had, they might be a bit big but they were so warm and comfy. And they smelled like Lloyd, which was a smell she associated with cozyness, safety and absolute happiness.

Genis rolled over and began snoring, breaking Lloyd away from his memories. It had felt so cozy and just, well, right that rainy afternoon when Colette had curled up with him. She'd been so warm curled up into his chest, and her small weight had been comforting.

He sighed as he leaned out of his sleeping bag and gave Genis a shove, trying to roll him over again so he stopped snoring. For such a small person he made an awful lot of noise. Luckily he stopped quickly and Lloyd snuggled back into his sleeping bag. He pulled the little plushie he had hidden in it closer to his chest. Part of him thought that he was too old to be sleeping with a plush toy, but he couldn't part with it, it was too precious.

As he fell asleep, he hoped with all his heart that one day it would be Colette and not the plushie that curled up beside him and shared warmth at night.


End file.
